UPEI business students win international case competition
What would you do if one of your employees had made disparaging remarks about your organisation on facebook? This was the ethical dilemma put to UPEI business students Tanya Martin, Hayley Beer, Jeff McKenzie and Kyle Smith in the first round of the Dalhousie University Business Ethics Case competition held last month in Halifax.
With only four hours to analyse, then brainstorm a solution and make recommendations through a presentation, the students were tested in a pressure situation similar to that faced by highly paid consultants. The team then had fifteen minutes to present their solution to a panel of judges to sway them to accept their proposal.
This was the first time a team from UPEI participated in this international competition which attracted a broad field including Indiana's Purdue University and the University of Arizona, in the United States and well-known Canadian universities such as Queens, Simon Fraser, Wilfred Laurier, Trent, Bishops, and the home team from Dalhousie University.
With the competition spread over two rounds, and the top four teams competing in a head-to-head final, the pressure over the weekend was intense. Much to the excitement of the UPEI team, they made it to the final four. Tanya Martin said, 'Even competing was a huge thrill for us. Being that it was the first time we had entered, we were not sure how we would fare. Making it to the final four was a great accomplishment.'
The final case consisted of marrying the ethics and values of profit and non-profit organisations working together in partnership. Teams were judged on their ability to effectively balance the ethical, financial, legal, and social consequences of their decisions. The final round proved to be very competitive with all teams presenting comprehensive and impressive case analysis. It was in this environment that the UPEI School of Business team was announced the winners.
Professor Edward Gamble, case team coach and mentor said, 'These students have worked very hard to prepare for this event. The case competition class presents the top business students with the challenge of pulling together all their accumulated knowledge and making real life business recommendations in a pressure situation. The ability to synthesize the issues, make decisions, and coherently present the outcome is a key skill that we are aiming for through this class.'
Dr. Roberta MacDonald, dean of the UPEI School of Business states, 'Winning this competition, against teams from such esteemed institutions reconfirms the quality of students we have at UPEI. It is also an indication of the excellence and dedication of the faculty who are able to impart the skills and knowledge that make our students competitive with the best throughout North America. We are very proud of their achievement.'
